Being There
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Based on a prompt from Regina fan (I've included it at the bottom due to it's length). AU as Cora has her heart in this story. Regina is sick and when Cora goes to the mansion to see her she takes care of her daughter. Angst leading to mother/daughter Mills Family fluff.


_Based on a prompt from Regina fan (I've included it at the bottom due to it's length). AU as Cora has her heart in this story. Regina is sick and when Cora goes to the mansion to see her she takes care of her daughter. Angst leading to mother/daughter Mills Family fluff._

_TW for evil Cora in Regina's childhood. _

_I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy :) _

"Mom you have to call her," Henry says as he watches Regina from the doorway.

"No I don't," Regina replies tiredly and stubbornly. She's ghostly pale and red circles rim her eyes. She's been throwing up half the night and she feels like she will again. Her stomach aches and nausea rolls throughout her body with every breath. Her head feels like someone is drilling into it.

All in all she feels terrible but she won't let her mother know that. Even though Cora has heart again she can't help the moments wherein she remembers her childhood and the old instincts kick in. She remembers a cold cruel mother who turned her away and mocked her for being sick. _Weakness_. That's what she was told and even now she fears her mother thinking she's weak. She fears not being enough again.

A part of her knows she is enough but right now she's sick and afraid and her childlike instincts kick in. She wishes they wouldn't and it wasn't like this but unfortunately it is.

Henry sighs, "Mom she'll want to take care of you."

"She won't," Regina coughs out from her position on the couch. She made it down the stairs – she doesn't know how – but once she reached the living room she felt dizzy and couldn't stand. Henry had to lead her to the couch and force her to lay down.

She groans as she shivers beneath her blankets. She's in a tank top and loose pyjama trousers because in anything else she was too clammy and hot. She tosses and turns uncomfortably before pulling the blanket over her.

"I just need to get some sleep and I'll be fine."

"Mom you won't be. You're really sick."

"It's just the flu. I'll get over it and be fine for lunch here with her," Regina insists.

Henry sighs again before walking over to her, "Mom she won't love you any less for being sick."

"How do you know?" Regina asks.

"Because she has her heart now and she loves you. She's your Mom. I know you don't remember her looking after you or being kind to you but it's different now and I think she'll want to be here with you."

It's a nice thought and Regina wishes it could be true. "We'll see Henry," she replies in the end knowing that her son believes and hopes and wanting to make sure he keeps that quality, "Don't worry okay dear. I'll be fine I promise. Just go spend your day with Emma."

He dithers for a moment before kissing her forehead, "Okay Mom but if you need me call."

"It's my job to look after you not the other way around," Regina points out.

Henry smiles, "Yeah but I can still care. Love you Mom."

"Love you Henry," Regina says with a small smile as he lopes out the door. Once the door slams shut she closes her eyes intending to grab a small nap before her mother arrives.

* * *

><p><em>As she dreams she remembers. <em>

_She's six years old and it's the worst she's ever felt. She's scared and confused. She doesn't remember ever feeling this way. Mostly when she hurts it's due to magic. In those cases she knows why it hurts. _

_Today she woke up with a raging pain in her head and a funny feeling in her tummy. She's thrown up twice and she's scared. She doesn't understand why this is happening and like most little children do she wants her Mommy. _

_She wants her Mommy to soothe her and make her feel better like she's supposed to do. _

_So far in her short life Regina has learned that her mother is not like other mothers. She isn't there to soothe away her nightmares – she's the cause. She's a figure of pain and fear in Regina's life. Yet the little girl still hopes that maybe this time will be different. Maybe this time her mother will be there for her. _

_She creeps into her mother's chambers coughing harshly as she does. _

_"Mommy," she croaks out. _

_Cora's head whips up and she takes in the sight of her daughter's pale sickly frame with something akin to disgust, "What do you want?" _

_"Mommy I don't feel so well," Regina says. _

_"You're sick," Cora spits out, "You weak pathetic child. How do you ever expect to be queen if you let yourself be ill?" _

_Regina frowns, "I-I couldn't help it Mommy. I woke up sick." _

_Cora sighs, "That's no excuse. Just stay out of my sight." _

_Regina doesn't see her mother for three days after that. There's no sign of her until Regina is well enough to climb out of bed. Cora is not happy to see her up though. Instead she chides her daughter for being sick in the first place and for taking so long to recover. _

_As she coughs and trembles in her bed being left to suffer alone Regina cries. It's another moment when she feels worthless to her mother. She feels weak and scared and she wishes with all her heart that one day she could be enough to make her mother happy. _

* * *

><p>Cora fidgets nervously as she knocks on the door. It's been a few months since she got her heart back but things between her and her daughter are still tense. They're slowly rebuilding their relationship but it's hard. It's worth it though.<p>

Now she has her heart back she knows how wrong she was. She loves her daughter now and knows what a big mistake she made in choosing power over love. She wishes she could go back in time and put her heart back. She cannot and she also knows that she would not do so because now she knows Regina. She knows her adult daughter who turned out strong and brave and able to love in spite of her.

She cannot go back and possibly erase the woman her daughter is now. She knows Regina and wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.

She can't undo her past but she can do better now and she's trying. She's trying so hard to be the mother Regina deserves. Most of it is just being there which is why every Wednesday she comes her to the mansion to have lunch and talk with her daughter.

Cora frowns as no-one comes to the door. She's about to knock again when the door slowly opens. She gasps when she sees Regina. Her daughter is clinging to the door for support and looks like she's about to pass out.

"Oh sweetheart," she says before placing her hand on Regina's forehead. She's very warm, too warm. "Why didn't you cancel?"

"I'm fine," Regina insists with a mumble, "let's have lunch."

Cora frowns before placing a hand on her daughter's arm to steady her, "You are in no condition for lunch honey. You need to be resting. Why didn't you say something?"

As she stares into slightly fearful eyes she knows the answer. She can remember how badly she treated Regina when she was sick as a child. She sent her away and made her feel worthless. She ignored her and called her weak. Instead of soothing she ridiculed.

Her heart aches at the memory and a tear threatens to roll down her cheek. She doesn't let it. Now is the time to be strong for her daughter. Regina needs her to be the mother she never was back then.

Her daughter suddenly lurches forward as she throws up over Cora's shoes. Cora sweeps into action holding Regina's hair back behind her head. With her other hand she rubs soothing circles on Regina's back. Once she's finished throwing up Regina looks up to her mother with eyes full of fear. She's expecting punishment or rebuke. She doesn't get it. Cora merely takes off her shoes before helping her daughter up and over to the couch.

She lays her down before covering her with the blanket, "Just rest honey."

"You're not mad?" Regina asks.

"Shoes can be replaced," Cora tells her, "You however cannot. I love you Regina and I know I was never there for you in the past but I want to make that up to you. I know you were scared to tell me you were sick and I know why. I'm so sorry sweetheart for ever making you feel like that and I promise to never make you feel that way again. I can't undo what I did in the past but I can try to do better now and I will. I'm here now Regina. I'm here."

Regina nods though she's still not sure. She's trying to trust again and with each day she knows she has to try as much as her mother does. She's too tired to fight right now and too sick so she simply nods and decides to give her mother a chance. She just hopes she doesn't regret it.

* * *

><p>."Mom!"<p>

Cora hurries into the living room to find her daughter curled up on the couch clutching her stomach whilst the blankets are on the floor. She kneels down beside Regina gently stroking her forehead, "What do you need?"

"It hurts," she whimpers. She didn't want to appear weak in front of her mother but she's exhausted and it hurts so much.

"I know honey," Cora says sympathetically, "I'll get you some more medicine okay?"

Regina nods as she stares at her mother through glassy eyes. Her mother comes back with a glass of water and two pills. "Take these," she instructs and Regina does as her mother hands her the glass and helps her take a sip.

"Do you need anything else?" Cora asks lifting up the blanket.

"No blanket," Regina groans.

"Regina you need to stay warm," Cora tells her but Regina shakes her head, "Too hot." Cora frowns placing a hand on Regina's forehead noting the temperature still there. "Okay no blanket," she murmurs before coming up with an idea. She props Regina up gently and her daughter looks up at her in confusion. "Mama?" she asks.

Cora doesn't answer simply sitting down before pulling a pillow into her lap and laying her daughter's head down, "No blanket. Just lay here and rest okay sweetheart."

Regina curls into her mother seeking out her body warmth and comfort. She feared calling her mother and letting her see her sick but today Cora came through and it gives her hope for the future of their relationship. "Thanks for being here," she mumbles tiredly as Cora hums and runs her fingers through Regina's hair to soothe her to sleep.

"Anytime Regina," Core promises bending down to kiss Regina's forehead. She wishes she had been there like this for her daughter so many years ago. No amount of wishing can make that come true but she can and will do better. Her heart beats in her chest and with it there she knows the mistakes of her past and is determined to make sure they never happen again.

She looks down at her sleeping daughter and reaffirms her promise to be there for Regina whenever she needs her.

_The full prompt was: _

_This is in Storybrooke Cora is here and has her heart. She wants to make it up to Regina and be the mother she should have been so she goes to see her. She finds a very sick Regina. She's pale and she can't stand. Cora wants to look after her but Cora and Regina both remember Cora not looking after Regina when she sick as a child. This time Cora does look after Regina. She holds her hair when she's sick and gets her what she wants and Regina lays her head on Cora's lap and Cora strokes her daughter's hair and Cora wishes she did this when Regina was a child. - Regina fan_

_Hope you all enjoyed and thank you for reading :) _


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